1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a label and label system for marking property, as well as to methods for making and using such a label and label system, and more particularly to a label and label system well-suited to marking and identifying property. The marking system is particularly well-suited to marking property characterized by a multiplicity of separable and individually-valuable components, such as cars and sophisticated medical equipment. The label and label system is capable of insuring the retention of identifying indicia on the property, and on selected components thereof, even after a physical label identifying the property has been removed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Thievery has existed since time immemorial. Attempts have been made not only to protect premises housing property from uninvited intrusion, but also to mark and identify valued property directly in an effort to discourage its theft. In this regard, evolving methods of stealing property have led to a corresponding need for increasingly-creative approaches to marking, identifying and protecting such property.
One classic and profitable area of focus for thieves is automobiles. Often left outside, cars are especially vulnerable to theft and present particularly worrisome concerns. Moreover, not only the car itself, but also the individual and expensive components of the car, provide a particularly lucrative arena for the modern thief. An automobile can be stolen and, in a matter of hours, be completely disassembled and its parts scattered in various directions for sale to those who deal in stolen goods. The difficulty of tracking parts once a stolen car has been disassembled is intractable. Nevertheless, attempts have been made to accomplish the task.
The most basic system for marking automobiles is the well-known vehicle identification number, or "VIN," a unique alphanumeric character sequence assigned to each new automobile by its manufacturer. The VIN is generally provided on a metal plate attached to the dashboard of the vehicle, and/or to other parts of the auto such as the engine block or rear axle. Such a strategy for marking cars is most useful for identifying the car as a whole, versus its individual parts, and is of limited usefulness. Indeed, the metal plate bearing the VIN can be successfully removed, or the VIN may be ground off or otherwise obliterated from the surface of the metal plate.
Accordingly, so-called "after-market" marking systems for automobiles have been proposed. An "after-market" marking system refers to a system for marking vehicles which can be implemented relatively easily not only by car manufacturers, but also by car dealerships, car repair facilities, service stations and automobile owners themselves. Conversely, VIN marking system installation in cars is conventionally performed solely by auto manufacturers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,456 to Jack discusses an after-market automobile marking system in which an adhesive label is attached to a chosen automobile part. The label, a plastic film, has a predetermined number, or other desired indicia such as the VIN, impressed to a desired depth as colorless physical depressions in the film's surface, using a dot matrix or line printer without its associated ink or visible marking means. The absence of coloration makes the physical depressions substantially invisible to a casual observer and only observed by careful scrutiny. The label upon which the physical impressions are made may be clear or provided with a mottled surface to render its location difficult to discover. When a vehicle bearing such a label is suspected of being stolen, colorant from a marking pen or graphite pencil is applied over the surface of the label and the colorant then wiped away, leaving a residue of color in the physical depressions which renders them, and hence the impressed indicia, visible on the label. Alternatively, the patent suggests impressing the physical depressions directly on an article to be marked.
Such a system is disadvantageous in that removal of the label, which contains the invisible indicia identifying the part, makes it impossible to identify the origin of the part any longer. Additionally, such markings can actually be detected by the careful observer and obliterated. Moreover, the alternative suggestion to physically depress indicia into the part itself is limited in that it marginally deforms and permanently mars the part, is only usable on parts having suitable surfaces capable of being easily physically-depressed, and requires application by a skilled professional, thus rendering use of the system by the average property owner impossible and impractical.
Other marking systems for permanently marking component parts of property such as automobiles are known, such as those systems described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,987,287 and 5,151,572 to Jack. These patents disclose marking systems wherein a stencil of the indicia such as the VIN is releasably applied to a glass surface such as a car window, followed by etching of the indicia into the glass surface using the stencil and removal of the stencil from the glass surface after etching. These patents further suggest the use, apparently in conjunction with such a glass etching system, of a label having an adhesive layer incorporating a pigment. When the label is provided on a surface to be marked, the pigment transfers to the surface. The label is then removed, leaving the pigment behind so that the pigment outlines the marking in the glass. Most preferably, the pigment is visible only under ultraviolet light.
Such prior art systems find their primary utility in marking glass components of property and are not capable of permanently marking the much more numerous metal component parts of property such as automobiles. These systems also result in visible markings which mar the property, are detectable and can be obliterated by the diligent thief. Finally, such sophisticated systems cannot be implemented practically by the property owner and reliance must be placed on experts for installation.
Moreover, such marking systems are narrowly focused on theft prevention and recovery of stolen merchandise. While there is considerable interest in such a theft prevention marking system, this narrow focus limits the implementation of such marking systems. It is desirable to provide a more flexible marking system having a broader range of utility. Such a more flexible marking system could find wider application, making the provision of desirable support infrastructure for the marking system more economically reasonable.
Accordingly, the need still exists for a marking system which will not only guarantee retention of desired identifying information on valuable property having a multitude of individually-valuable parts, such as an automobile VIN on a vehicle component part, but which also can be readily utilized and installed in the after-market by retailers, repair facilities and, most importantly, directly by the property owner or lessor.